Device for typing an auxiliary character on a typewriter



Oct. 31, 1967 L. N. BARGER 3,349,839

DEVICE FOR TYPING AN AUXILIARY CHARACTER ON A TYPEWRITER Filed Oct. 23, 1965 ARRY w g ggefl man. Today,

United States Patent C) 3,349,889 DEVICE FOR TYPING AN AUXILIARY CHARACTER ON A TYPEWRITER Larry N. Barger, The Artizan, P.O. Box 1084 Glendale, Calif. 91209 Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 502,937 8 Claims. (Cl. 197-180) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A small plastic device that clips onto a typewriter for typing a special character (Greek letter, mathematic symbol, etc.). The device has its own vertically adjustable flexible auxiliary key and forms a complete unit that a secretary can pull off the typewriter when the special character has been typed. This device is interchangeable with numerous makes and models of typewriters, none of which have to be specially modified to receive the device.

This invention relates to an additive device for typing unusual characters on a typewriter.

A major problem with typewriters is that they are limited in the number of characters available on the keyboard. Many times a secretary finds it necessary to type a character that is not one of the characters on the keyboard. The need for an auxiliary character is likely to occur when typing scientific works using members of the Greek alphabet as symbols, when typing in foreign languages, etc.

. are an improvement over hand lettering and changing 1 the keys and keyboard of a typewriter. However, previous devices had the serious drawback of having a large block or support installed on the typewriter for the added key. When using the typewriter in the normal manner and typing conventional characters, these supports blocked the secretarys view of what she was typing. One previous device required that the typewriter undergo a major alteration which could only be done by a typewriter repairmany typewriters are leased instead of purchased and the users may not have a legal right to alter a leased machine.

typewriters without altering the typewriter.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an auxiliary character typing device that attaches to an unaltered typewriter and has vertical adjustment means to align an auxiliary character on an auxiliary key of the device with conventional characters typed on the typewriter.

Another o-bject of this invention is to provide a flexible auxiliary key that will snap forward when struck for typing auxiliary characters on a typewriter.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon further description with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a rear elevational view of the auxiliary character typing device;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the auxiliary character typing device;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the auxiliary character typing device;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the auxiliary character typing device showing it being slipped onto type guides of a type-writer; and

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of the device aligned on the type guide for typing an auxiliary character.

Referring to the drawings, the same numerals are used to represent the same element in the various views. The auxiliary character typing device includes a support member 1 that attaches to the conventional type guides 80 and 81 of a typewriter. A flexible auxiliary key 20 conmeets to the support member 1 and is vertically adjusted relative to support member 1 by a knob 30 that rotates shaft 31 with cam section 32. By striking a strike block 40 attached to a lower end of flexible auxiliary key 20, this auxiliary key snaps forward against ribbon 91 and platen 90 to type auxiliary character 50. After typing auxiliary character 50 flexible auxiliary key 20 has suflicient springiness to snap back away from ribbon 91 and platen 90 so the typewriters carriage can advance a space.

The support member 1 has a body that extends from an upper end to a lower end with a pair of spaced apart spring members 60 and 68 that extend rearwardly. These spring members 60 and 68 are open at their sides so they can accommodate type guides 80 and 81 regardless of their overall width which varies from one type writer to the next. Each spring member has a forward end 61 which abuts a vertical arm of the type guides as shown in FIG- URE 5. This gives a front to back alignment to the supporting member and spaces it a distance from the typewriter platen 90.

For laterally aligning the support member 1 a web 70 spans opening 5 of the support member and has a prong 71 that fits into a guide channel 85 between type guides and 81.

With the support member aligned from front to back, and laterally from left to right, the auxiliary key 20 is aligned in all three dimensions upon the inclusion of vertical adjustment means between auxiliary key 20 and support member 1. Although the vertical adjustment means is shown as a cam, it could take any one of several other forms such as rack and pinion, screw, etc. The particular height of auxiliary character 50 is shown by calibrations 35 on knob 30. The auxiliary character 50 is reproduced so the particular auxiliary character of the device can be determined at a glance from either the front or rear of the device.

Preferably the entire auxiliary character typing device is made of a thermoplastic material. I have found that an auxiliary key 20* works very well when made of a thermoplastic such as Delrin or polycarbonate giving an integral auxiliary character 50 that is not damaged by numerous poundings against typewriter platen 90.

The method of typing auxiliary characters on a typewriter is as follows. Conventional characters are typed on the typewriter until a need for an auxiliary character arises. When an auxiliary character is needed, a device such as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 is slipped onto a pair of type guides 80 and 81 as shown in FIGURE 4. If this is the first time this particular device has been used on this typewriter, knob 30 is turned until auxiliary key 20 is vertically adjusted. However, once a particular vertical adjustment has been determined for a particular typewriter, nob 30 can be set immediately and left at this setting as long as the device is used on this typewriter.

Having been vertically adjusted, a conventional key 98 is struck and driven forward until it hits striking block 40, snapping auxiliary key 20 forward to type auxiliary character 50. After the auxiliary character 50 is typed, the entire device is pulled off type guides 80 and 81, leaving the unaltered typewriter upon-which conventional typing can be resumed.

Although I have used a specific embodiment to illustrate my invention, it is understood that those skilled in the art can make certain modifications to this embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a device having a support member and a movable key for typing an auxiliary character on a typewriter which has a platen, a series of conventional keys and a type guiding member, the improvement in the device of: a flexible springy key having one end rigidly fixed to the support member and having an auxiliary character at an opposite end, said auxiliary key bending between its rigidly fixed end and its auxiliary character end to advance the auxiliary character toward the typewriter platen when struck by a conventional key, said flexible springy key unbending to retract its auxiliary character from the platen after being struck by the conventional key; and attaching clips on said support member for temporarily attaching said support member to the type guiding member, said device being separable from the typewriter by a simple manual pull after use to leave the type guiding member completely free of any contact with the attaching clips, the support member or the flexible key; said attaching clips, support member and flexible key permanently connected together and forming a single manipulable unit that can be quickly and manually attached to and detached from a typewriter without the use of tools.

2. The improvement in a device for typing an auxiliary character on a typewriter as set forth in claim 1 wherein both the flexible key and auxiliary character are of a v thermoplastic material.

3. The improvement in a device for typing an auxiliary character on a typewriter as set forth in claim 2 wherein both the flexible key and auxiliary character are of a material selected from the group consisting of Delrin and polycarbonate.

4. In a device including a support member and a movable auxiliary key, which device is adapted for typing an auxiliary character on a typewriter which has a pair of generally horizontal type guides separated by a groove defined by laterally spaced apart inner surfaces of the type guides, a width of the combined pair of type guides being determined by a lateral distance between outer edge surfaces of the two type guides, a thickness of the type guides determined by a vertical distance between top and bottom surfaces of the type guides; said device including the following improvement for removably and alignedly attaching the support member to the type guides: a pair of laterally spaced apart spring clips on the support member, said spring clips each having top and bottom surfaces defining an opening for receiving the typeguides, said top and bottom surfaces of the spring clips defining these openings being vertically spring biased towards each other to provide a variable vertical distance between these top and bottom surfaces for receiving type guides of different thicknesses, at least one of said spring clips being free of engagement with the outer edge surfaces of the type guides so the spring clips can accommodate type guide combinations of different widths; and a thin generally vertical prong on the support member separate from the auxiliary key, said thin prong fitting between the type guides and engaging their inner surfaces to give lateral alignment to the support member; said device being separable from the type guides by a simple manual pull after use to leave the type guides completely free of any contact with the spring clips, the support member or the movable key; said spring clips, support member and movable key permanently connected together and forming a single manipulable unit that can be quickly and manually attached to and detached from the typewriter without the use of tools.

5. A device for typing an auxiliary character on a typewriter with a series of conventional keys, a platen and a type guiding member, said device comprising: an elongated support member extending upwardly to a graspable handle portion; a movable auxiliary key retained by the support member for typing an auxiliary character; attaching means on said support member for temporarily connecting the support member to the type guiding member; and a vertical adjustment means for varying the vertical height of the auxiliary key relative to the support member, said vertical adjustment means being permanently aflixed to the support member as an integral part thereof and remaining with the support member and not with the typewriter when the device is removed from the type guiding member; said device being separable from the typewriter by a simple manual pull after use to leave the type guiding member completely free of any contact with the attaching means, the support member, the movable key, or the vertical adjustment means; said attaching means, support member movable key and vertical adjustment means permanently connected together and forming a single manipulable unit that can be quickly and manually attached to and detached from a typewriter without the use of tools.

6. A device for typing an auxiliary character on a typewriter as set forth in claim 5 wherein the vertical adjustment means is a rotatable cam.

7. A device for typing an auxiliary character on a typewriter as set forth in claim 5 wherein the vertical adjustment means has a calibrated dial indicating the particular height adjustment of the auxiliary key.

'8. A device for typing an auxiliary character on a typewriter with a series of conventional keys, a platen and a pair of gene-rally horizontal type guides separated by a groove defined by laterally spaced apart inner surfaces of the type guides, a width of the combined pair of type guides being determined by a lateral distance between outer edge surfaces of the two type guides, a thickness of the type guides determined by a vertical distance between top and bottom surfaces of the type guides, said device comprising: an elongated support member extending upwardly to a graspable handle portion; a movable auxiliary key retained by the support member for typing an auxiliary character; a pair of laterally spaced apart spring clips on the support member, said spring clips each having top and bottom surfaces defining an opening for receiving the type guides, said top and bottom surfaces of the spring clips defining these openings being vertically spring biased towards each other to provide a variable vertical distance between these top and bottom surfaces for receiving type guides of different thicknesses, at least one of said spring clips being free of engagement with the outer edge surfaces of the type guides so the spring clips can accommodate type guide combinations of difl erent widths; a thin generally vertical prong on the support member separate from the auxiliary key, said thin prong fitting between the type guides and engaging their inner surfaces to give lateral alignment to the support member; and a vertical adjustment means for varying the vertical height of the auxiliary key relative to the support member, said vertical adjustment means being permanently afiixed to the support member as an integral part thereof and remaining with the support member and not with the type-writer when the device is removed from the type guides; said device being separable from the typewriter by a simple manual pull after use to leave the type guides completely free of any contact with the support member, the spring clips, the thin prong, the movable key or the vertical adjustment means; said support member, spring clips, thin prong, movable key and vertical adjustment means permanently connected together and forming a single manipulable unit that can be quickly and manually attached to and detached from a typewriter without the use of tools.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,978,068 10/1934- Weniger 197180 2,273,701 2/ 1942 Funke 248- 224 2,305,763 12/ 1942 Dietruch 1971 2,65 8,297 11/ 1953 Woolsey 24-25 5 3,063,541 11/1962 Hartnett et a1 197-180 3,120,302 2/1964 Ryan et a]. 197--1-80 3,181,679 5/1965 Stu'b'bmann 197--6.7 3,272,301 9/1966 Craig 197-6.7

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner. E. S. BURR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A DEVICE HAVING SUPPORT MEMBER AND A MOVABLE KEY FOR TYPING AN AUXILIARY CHARACTER ON A TYPEWRITER WHICH HAS A PLATEN, A SERIES OF CONVENTIONAL KEYS AND A TYPE GUIDING MEMBER, THE IMPROVEMENT IN THE DEVICE OF: A FLEXIBEL SPRING KEY HAVING ONE END RIGIDLY FIXED TO THE SUPPORT MEMBER AND HAVING AN AUXILIARY CHARACTER AT AN OPPOSITE END, SAID AUXILIARY KEY BENDING BETWEEN ITS RIGIDLY FIXED END AND ITS AUXILIARY CHARACTER END OT ADVANCE THE AUXILIARY CHARACTER TOWARD THE TYPEWRITER PLATEN WHEN STRUCK BY A CONVENTIONAL KEY, SAID FLEXIBLE SPRINGY KEY UNBENDING TO RETRACT ITS AUXILIARY CHARACTER FROM THE PLATEN AFTER BEING STRUCK BY THE CONVENTIONAL KEY; AND ATTACHING CLIPS ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBER FOR TEMPORARILY ATTACHING SAID SUPPORT MEMBER TO THE TYPE GUIDING MEMBER, SAID DEVICE BEING SEPARATBLE FROM THE TYPEWRITER BY A SIMPLE MANUAL PULL AFTER USE OT LEAVE THE TYPE GUIDING MEMBER COMPLETELY FREE OF ANY CONTACT WITH THE ATTACHING CLIPS, THE SUPPORT MEMBER OR THE FLEXIBLE KEY; SAID ATTACHING CLIPS, SUPPORT MEMBER AND FLEXIBLE KEY PERMANENTLY CONNECTED TOGETHER AND FORMING A SINGLE MANIPULABLE UNIT THAT CAN BE QUICKLY AND MANUALLY ATTACHED TO AND DETACHED FROM A TYPEWRITER WITHOUT THE USE OF TOOLS. 